A Marine reservist from San Diego is under investigation by the military for his alleged ties to the white nationalist Patriot Front group. Details about Cpl. Victor Krvaric’s life appear to match up with information from a leaked application from a potential member known as “Interviewee 441215.” Patriot Front is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “an image-obsessed organization that rehabilitated the explicitly fascist agenda of Vanguard America with garish patriotism.” It splintered from Vanguard America shortly after the original group took part in the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is around the time Interviewee 441215 said he’d come to know the group. It wasn’t until 2021 that Interviewee 441215 became aware of Patriot Front, according to leaked Discord messages provided by Unicorn Riot.

Interviewee 441215 said he wanted to join the hate group because of his rampant antisemitism. He claims his beliefs are traditional and conservative, but includes some misspelled homophobia and fears of a nonexistent white genocide. He described his family as being conservative  and claimed that his brother helped him get into “right-wing literature.” Right-wing extremism is absolutely a family affair for Krvaric, whose brother Oliver is the leader of the San Diego State University College Republicans, has made appearances on Tucker Carlson, spews racist talking points, and considers Carlson and GOP insurrection sympathizers like Paul Gosar and Josh Hawley to be “thought leaders.” The siblings’ father, Tony, is the former chairman of the San Diego County GOP and even had his own neo-Nazi scandal. The elder Krvaric appeared in a controversial video from the 1990s that featured Hitler and swastikas. Like many other neo-Nazis, Tony Krvaric has also clung to Republican talking points that include slamming mail-in ballots despite voting by mail a staggering 22 times and obsessing over Ronald Reagan.

Here’s a KPBS history of Tony Krvaric’s neo-Nazi connections.

YouTube Video

The white nationalism and violence runs deep for Patriot Front. Its founder, Thomas Rousseau, was associated with Vanguard America as a figurehead and led the group during the deadly Unite the Right rally in 2017. Also marching with the group—in addition to Rousseau—was James Fields, who is serving a life sentence for killing demonstrator Heather Heyer and injuring 35 others after driving his car through a group of protesters. Vanguard America was one of the groups named in the Sines v. Kessler lawsuit that saw Nazis like Richard Spencer and Christopher Cantwell financially obliterated by the multi-million dollar judgment rendered in the case. For Victor (or Viktor), his future with the military is likely at stake thanks to his decision to fall in line with a bunch of white supremacists while also serving the country. At least he got to use his dad’s former nickname from his hacker collective days when being addressed by Patriot Front members. What a great way to carry on a hateful legacy.

The military has had a major problem with extremist service members and only recently resolved to tighten its rules about soldiers being active participants in hate groups in the wake of the insurrection. A military spokesperson confirmed to the San Diego Union-Tribune that it was investigating Krvaric’s alleged involvement with Patriot Front. “The Marine Corps investigates when a command receives information that a service member may be involved in active participation with an extremist organization or extremist activity,” Lt. Col. Craig Thomas, a spokesperson for the Marine Forces Reserve, said in a statement obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune. “There is no place for extremism in the Marine Corps. Our strength is derived from the individual excellence of every Marine regardless of background. Bigotry and racial extremism run contrary to our core values.”

The Union-Tribune noted that a soldier who shared a similar offensive graphic as Krvaric did on social media was kicked out of the Marines after the paper concluded an investigation into his online activities. That former Marine may not have been a Patriot Front member but Krvaric is certainly in good company, so to speak. According to a Southern Poverty Law Center report, one in five Patriot Front members claim ties to the military either as active duty members or veterans of the armed forces.